Taking a shower has been very popular for a long time and besides its main practical and hygienic factors, the impact of jets of water on the surface of the human body results in a stimulating action of the skin and of the nervous system. Taking a shower is more popular than taking a bath in a tub. This means that an important quantity of water and caloric energy is spent daily.
Suppose one shower uses 150 liters of heated water from 10 degrees Cel. to 40 degrees Cel. thereby consuming 4500 Cal. Considering for North America 10.sup.8 showers daily, the result is 15.times.10.sup.6 cubic meters of water and 45.times.10.sup.10 Cal. or an energy of 5.times.10.sup.4 tons in equivalent oil used per day. These figures being for a conventional carburetant of 9000 Cal. per kilogram excepting the loss.
The course of a shower has three phases: the first is to wet the skin and to warm the body, the second is to soap the skin and to massage the body, and the third is to rinse off the soap and to refresh the body. The approximate fractions of these three phases from a shower bath time are: for the first phase 30%, for the second phase 30%, and for the third phase 40%. The second phase does not need the flow of water, but contrary the flow creates inconveniences and for that reason some people use the diverter valve to direct the flow through the tap into the tub, other people divert the shower head to flow beside them, other people when possible, step aside from the flow of water which runs wastefully, other people soap themselves under the shower stream and a few people turn off the water and as a result they have to rearrange the right flow of hot and cold water for the blended mixture and to manipulate the diverter, thus requiring six manipulations. Only control devices equiped to deliver thermostatically controlled water can be simply manipulated to stop or to allow the flow of mixed water, but they are expensive and unpopular for individual showers, being commonly used for gang-type showers that are installed in many schools, factories or hospitals.
The direct control of the stream of a shower head by the person who is taking the shower, stopping or allowing the flow of blended mixture by a quite simple manipulation is very important for two main reasons: the convenience to soap the skin, and to massage the body being undisturbed by unnecessary water, and the economy of water, of caloric energy and of soap which sometimes is spent senselessly.
The conventional energy which can be saved in North America is roughly 0.3.times.5.times.10.sup.4 tons of oil per day or 4.5.times.10.sup.6 tons of oil per year, and for a normal family the economy can be between $80 and $100 per year.
Thus, the invention herein relates to an inexpensive and simple device which can be manipulated close to the shower fixture to control the flow of blended mixture at the convenience of the person who takes the shower bath.